Yoh Drives in Seven, Wigginton Shuts Down Dogs, Monarchs Edge Saltdogs
Featured Image Courtesy of Jennifer Andreachi, Field Dreams Photography
American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Robert Pannier recaps the six games in the American Association on Friday, including the Daikon Yoh homering twice and driving in seven for the Lake Country DockHounds, Peyton Wigginton shuts down the Chicago Dogs, and Kody Bullard tosses a gem for the Cleburne Railroaders. This, plus much more.
RedHawks Rally to Down Dogs
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks scored a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, then hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Dogs on Friday. This was a great pitcher’s duel through the first five innings as neither Peyton Wigginton nor A. J. Kullman allowed a run.
In the sixth, Fargo-Moorhead broke through when Drew Ward hit a two-out homerun his 17th of the season. An inning later, the RedHawks jumped ahead by three. Alec Olund drove home a run on a sacrifice fly and Nick Novak added an RBI single. Wigginton had kept Chicago off the board through the first 6.1 innings, but K. C. Hobson finally put his team on the board 12th homerun of the season.
Wigginton came out after seven, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. Tanner Riley came on in the eighth and tossed a scoreless frame. That sent the contest to the ninth where Joe Jones loaded the bases with no one out before giving up a sacrifice fly to Grant Kay that pulled the Dogs within one. However, Jones was able to record the final two outs for his fourth save of the season.
Bullard Blanks Cougars
Kody Bullard tossed six scoreless innings and the bullpen did the rest as the Cleburne Railroaders defeated the Kane County Cougars, 4-0. Bullard allowed four hits and a walk while striking out three to earn his sixth victory of the season. Austin Fairchild, Danny Zardon, and Nick Gardewine each came on to toss a scoreless frame to complete the shutout.
Cleburne jumped out in front in the top of the first on a double play grounder that brought home a run. Two innings later, Wyatt Mathisen extended the lead to two with an RBI single. The Railroaders added two more in the fifth as an error brought home Zach Nehrir and Mitch Ghelfi plated the final run of the game with a sacrifice fly.
Jack Fox allowed three runs in 5.1 innings for Kane County. Hill Alexander had three hits and Chase Simpson had two hits and scored two runs. Ernie De La Trinidad and Josh Rolette each had two hits for the Cougars.
Milkmen Bullpen Shuts Down Canaries
The Milwaukee Milkmen bullpen tossed four hitless, scoreless innings to close the door as the Milkmen defeated the Sioux Falls Canaries, 4-2. Milwaukee took the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs. Carl Chester had a two run double and he scored on a single by Jeremiah Burks. Sioux Falls cut into that lead in the top of the third as Ozzie Martinez drove home John Nester with an RBI single to make a 3-1. The teams exchanged runs in the fourth to make it a 4-2 game.
A. J. Schugel started for Milwaukee and tossed a solid performance, allowing two runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out seven. The Milkmen turned to the bullpen in the sixth, and got four outstanding innings, starting with Kyle Huckaby. Frankie Bartow tossed a perfect seventh as did Karch Kowalczyk in the eighth. In the ninth, Rodrigo Benoit came on, striking out two to record his seventh save of the season.
Aaron Hill had two hits and scored two runs for the Milkmen and Burks had two hits and drove in two. Nick Gotta had two hits for Sioux Falls.
Yoh Drives in Seven in DockHounds Victory
Daikan Yoh homered twice and drove in seven to lead the Lincoln Country DockHounds to a 14-5 thrashing of the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Every player in the starting lineup for Lake Country had at least one hit.
The DockHounds got things going early when Gabriel Noriega drilled a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, his eighth of the year. Late Country added a run in the second and Yoh extended the lead to seven in the fourth, hitting a grand slam. The RailCats had been shut down through the first four innings, but finally got on the board with two runs in the fifth and added three more in the sixth thanks to a two run homer by Sam Abbott. However, it was all DockHounds from there. Jordan Schaffer had a two-run single in the seventh and Yoh followed with a three-run shot to give Late Country a nine run lead.
Yoh finished 2-6 with two runs scored and seven RBI. Tristen Carranza had three hits and scored four runs. Schaffer had three hits, scored twice, and drove in three. Alex McRae earned his fifth victory of the season. LG Castillo had two hits and scored two runs for the RailCats and Abbott scored two runs and drove in a pair.
Gary SouthShore RailCats Recap by Ryan Zimmerman
Santa Grand Slam Propels Monarchs to Victory
Kevin Santa hit a grand slam in the top of the fourth inning to lead the Kansas City Monarchs to a 5-4 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs. Kansas City opened the contest with five unanswered runs, starting in the second when Casey Gillaspie hit a solo homer, his 16th of the season. Two innings later, Lincoln starter Zach St. Pierre retired the first batter of the frame, but then gave up a hit by pitch, a walk, and a single to load the bases for Santa. The Monarchs infielder turned on a 1-1 pitch, drilling it for his first homerun of the season to make it 5-0.
Matt Hartman was cruising for the Monarchs through the first five frames, but the Saltdogs finally got on the board in the sixth on back-to-back homers by Rayder Ascanio and Ryan Long. Hartman came out after six, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings. Jameson McGrane came on in the seventh and retired the side in order, but gave up a two run homer to Ascanio in the eighth that pulled Lincoln within one. Brandon Koch came on in the ninth and shut the door for his third save of the season.
Gillaspie finished with two hits and scored two runs. J. C. Escarra was a perfect 3-3. Ascanio homered twice and drove in three for the Saltdogs.
Goldeyes-Explorers Rained Out
The contest between the Winnipeg Goldeyes and Sioux City Explorers was rained out. The makeup contest has not been scheduled.
Three Stars of the Night
No. 3 –Peyton Wigginton (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) 7.0 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 6 K
No. 2 – Kody Bullard (Cleburne Railroaders) 6.0 IP, 4 H, BB, 0 ER, 3 K
No. 1 – Daikan Yoh (Lake Country DockHounds) 2-6, 2 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI
American Association Daily Notes
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks became the first American Association team to clinch a playoff spot with their victory on Thursday. The club has now won eight games in a row… The Sioux Falls Canaries have lost seven straight games.
Transactions
Chicago: Activated LHP James Reeves from the Inactive List; Removed RHP Paul Schwendel from the Injured List and placed him on the Inactive List retroactive to July 28; Placed INF Stevie Wilkerson on the Injured List retroactive to August 10
Gary SouthShore: Released INF Chris Burgess
By Robert Pannier